The Fragile Utopia: Deconstructing the Concept of Utopia in William Golding's Lord of the Flies

Abstract

Written in the aftermath of World War II, Wiliam Golding's "Lord of the Flies" is often read as an allegory of civilization and savagery, but beneath this duality lies a subtler critique of humanity's utopian impulse. The novel analysed the illusion of an ideal society. This paper explores "Lord of the Flies" as a profound commentary on the fragility of the utopian ideals. The novel begins with the boys' initial efforts to establish a society free from adult intervention and war, and build order and democracy on the island, evoking classical utopian ideals, but their community gradually deteriorates into violence and domination. Supported by critical perspectives the study demonstrates how "Lord of the Flies" transforms a seeming paradise into a moral wasteland. Golding deliberately undermines the idea of utopia by putting forth its unsustainable nature when built upon an unexamined understanding of humanity. Golding's vision of human nature –neither wholly evil nor redeemable through social design – reveals that utopian cannot exist without confronting the "darkness of man's heart" (Golding 202).